Assassins Lullaby
by Endless Catastrophe
Summary: Annika was trained to kill and raised to neglect all matters of her heart. Her only instinct has been to survive and take out her target without hesitation. But she often finds herself wondering if this is all she's meant for. Can one of the worlds greatest assassins find redemption?
1. Red Room

_So I'm back with a new story, I've been obsessing over Avengers for a while now, and I've been doing my research on characters in the comics vs. the movies. So I'm going to try and bring some of that to this story. My OC will be raised in the Red Room, so we're going to see a lot of flashbacks with her and her relationship with Natasha both before and after the Avengers films. I'm estimating with dates and locations so bare with me, I'm super excited for this fic to get going and even more excited to hear your feedback._

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1: Red Room

Location: Department X – "Red Room" Training Facility, Moscow, U.S.S.R

Date: February 1955

One minute I was cloaked in darkness, the next I was blinking my grey eyes rapidly to subdue the burning discomfort from the suddenness of the small room coming alight. The hum of the lights overhead drowned out by the alarm, it's shrill tone vibrating off the cement walls and waking each of us from our sleep. It was the normal routine; wake up, bed check, breakfast, and then training. I hurried to make my bed before assuming the usual position at the foot of my bed. I hardly paid attention to the others as I did so, their movements were blurred in the corner of my vision as I kept my focus straight as we all waited for Madame B to do the morning bed check. As soon as she finished her walkthrough, we fashioned ourselves into two lines and hurried out of the sleeping quarters and entered into the dining hall. It was quiet as always, a few hushed whispers slithered through the air, but even those were barely audible over the sounds of our spoons scraping against the ceramic bowls. I found comfort in the silence, just as I was taught to.

"Did you dream last night?" A voice beside me asked quietly. I tilted my head slightly, noticing the raven hair, immediately putting a name and face to her voice.

"No," I mumbled before swallowing my last spoonful of porridge.

"Are you nervous…about today?" I knew what she was asking. I was going to be training with Madame B and another, it was assessment, I would have to kill in order to move on to the next round of training. Her question caused my throat to tighten, but I kept my composure.

"No," I said again. But I was. I was nervous, frightened even. I hadn't killed yet, none of us had. But it was time for elimination, to sort the weak from the strong; the ordinary from the assassins.

"Liar," she whispered harshly. She was right, but I wasn't about to give her any indication I was.

"We'll see, I just hope it's not you and I they match today," I kept my tone pleasant, light even as I turned to her.

"Afraid you might lose?" she mocked, a smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth.

"Not at all Maria," I smiled, completely aware that we were being watched, "I'm more than confident in saying that I would succeed, and you would be dead."

"You can act the part of most valuable player, but when its time for you to play the game, we'll see who's left standing," Maria turned away, smugly finishing the remains of her breakfast just as an alarm signaled us to move into the training room.

"And that will be me, right over top of your cold lifeless body," I didn't wait for her to reply, instead standing to join the others as we made our way into the training room. Our usual circle formed around Madame B, who stood patiently in the center in her usual black attire.

"Welcome girls," she began just after the doors to the training room closed, signaling the beginning of the lesson and that no one could leave until we finished, "As discussed, limits are no longer applied to todays training. Today's lesson will focus on three major components: technique, endurance, and the kill."

Just as she finished speaking, the doors behind us opened and we all turned to see who was joining the lesson. We had been told there would be a new instructor, but the man who entered looked more like a machine than an actual person. Though it was only his right arm that gleamed a silvery metal, his features were stony and his walk was almost robotic you would think he wasn't human.

"Girls, this is James. He will be leading today's lessons before we finish with a few matches. Fight hard, every move counts," Madame B warned before dismissing us into two groups. We were to alternate between our usual trainer Niko and James, and as Niko used two girls as an example of our lesson my gaze wandered over to the other group. Their lessons looked far more intense, two girls had already been injured drastically thanks to our new instructor. I watched him now as he stood across from me, his focus on the other girls as they sparred against one another. His hair was short and dark, accenting his strong squared jaw. Everything about him was terrifying, and it fascinated me. His blue eyes snapped up to meet my steel gaze, and I quickly turned from his glare, catching the end of our instructions and moving to find a partner.

"Shall we?" Natasha appeared at my side, her playful smirk taunting me.

"Don't you get tired of losing?" I teased as we moved into position.

"I think we're about even at this point," Natasha reminded me, I rolled my eyes as I brought my hands up into place, after we both nodded, we quickly went into action. Before I knew what was happening, Natasha had me in a chokehold facing the other group, unfortunately James was watching us, and his cold blue stare was focused on me. Feeling the pressure to impress the new teacher, I reached behind Natasha's neck, driving my elbow into her side and pushing her head down as I quickly turned to the side. I shoved her onto her stomach, getting her hands behind her and holding them firmly in my grasp. I looked up to see if he had been watching, but his attention was again on his group, his back to Natasha and I.

"Yield," Natasha grunted, I looked up at Niko, and when he nodded I lifted myself off her, waiting in position until she was ready to spar again. We were just finishing our fourth round when Madame B signaled us to switch. We hurried over to James, Natasha and I quietly arguing about who won the last round. Again we were instructed to get into sparing groups, but the focus was different, rather than simply trying to over power our opponent we were instructed to learn our partner's movements, predict their movements and use that to knock them out. This was a technique most of us weren't very skilled with, as we had only begun actually fighting one another recently. At first I thought nothing of it, finding it to be easier than expected until James stopped our sparring and walked over to where Natasha and I stood.

"Switch partners," he said stiffly. Natasha quickly moved, tapping on another girls shoulders before taking her place. Normally I wouldn't have a problem fighting someone else, but when I saw Maria's smug little face standing across from me, I had to fight back the instant urge to roll my eyes, "continue."

Maria didn't wait for the nod, taking his cue as a go and immediately going into attack mode. I blocked her hits easily, but because she was so quick to attack I couldn't find a spot to make my own attack. I took this as an opportunity to learn her movements, and soon I found her rhythm and was finally able to find a gap. I lashed out my hand, roughly slamming the side of my palm against the middle of her throat. She stumbled back, reaching to her neck as she tried to gasp for air. I didn't wait for her to recover, I connected my fist to her jaw and again she stumbled back, blood dripping from her lip. I leaned back, quickly adjusting my weight before bringing up my leg. I was about to kick her in the chest, effectively breaking a few ribs, when a flash of silver blocked my view and a steel hand locked onto my ankle. James twisted my leg, causing my body to turn and fall to the ground once my balance was lost.

"Save it for later," James warned. He turned to look at the others, instructing them to switch before dismissing Maria from the next lesson. Normally this wasn't allowed, but he thought her jaw had been dislocated and it would need to be mended before the matches later this evening. The others kept away, obviously concerned after witnessing my previous spar.

"I don't have a partner," but my concern was quickly erased when a silver fist came towards my face, and my focus went into blocking his attack. I saw what happened when he tried to demonstrate his lesson to the previous group, the girls were still bruising, and I was in no state to take a beating when I had a match coming later on. I blocked each attack, waiting to see if I could find a rhythm, but he had none. Instead I found a blind spot, ducking from his next attack and hooking my arm with his and pushing myself so I flipped over him. I reached my foot forward to trip him, but he quickly moved to face me and we continued. His attacks were getting faster and his hits were getting stronger. I knew I would be bruised, but I wasn't about to yield, instead jumping up when I found another gap and lifting myself onto his back, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck. It didn't last, as I knew it was a risky move with someone so experienced. He reached back, easily pulling my tiny frame off of him and slamming me down onto the ground at his feet. It went quiet, the room only echoing our heavy breathing as he stood over me. Our gazes held for a moment longer before he broke it, looking away to once again instruct the group to change partners.

The rest of training continued like this, only a few ours later were we released from sparring to take a break. Afterwards would come the matches, and I already knew I would be part of that today. Natasha and I quickly took a quick water break before finding a seat in the corner of the room, our conversation focused primarily on the sparring and who we thought would be put into the matches.

"You?" Natasha asked curiously when I told her I knew I would be one of them.

"Madame B said something yesterday, that I would need to prove myself more, and that today would separate the weak from the strong," I shrugged, I knew it was coming, not all of us could be the greatest.

"Do you think you're weak?" Natasha asked.

"No, but I don't think I could kill someone," I mumbled as I leaned back against the wall.

"You nearly did, If James didn't stop you…"

"I wouldn't have killed her," I interrupted.

"I've never seen you like that, he even told you to stop, twice," Natasha sighed, leaning back against the wall next to me.

"He did?" I didn't hear him. Maybe she was right, maybe I would have killed her.

"We all heard him, it was like you were in a different place. Madame B even looked impressed," Natasha nudged me playfully, but my thoughts were whizzing around my head, distracting me from our conversation.

"Alright girls, lets begin," Madame B called us all from our break. Natasha and I stood up and hurried over to kneel in a circle. My thoughts were still distracting me, and so when I felt Natasha nudge me roughly again and snap me from my daze I knew I was in trouble, "Annika?"

I stood up when I heard my name, I was still young, maybe ten, so when I walked over to Madame B I had to crane my neck just so I could look up at her.

"Annika you will be matched against Maria," Madame B smiled tightly just as she walked out of the circle. I watched as she walked away, still trying to comprehend the fact that I was first, and I was fighting Maria. I knew everyone was watching me as Maria stood up, her face pale against the white bandage on her cheek. She pulled it off, tossing it aside as she entered the circle. We both knew what had to happen. I had to kill her, or she was going to kill me. Madame B's voice interrupted the panic coursing in my body, "Begin."

It was like a switch. One second I was afraid for my life, and the next I felt like a gun locking in on my target. I had no emotion as I stepped towards Maria, immediately engaging. It was clear that she was still frightened, her moves were sloppy and she was primarily blocking my attacks. I kept my movements sporadic, avoiding a pattern and keeping the element of surprise. I punched her twice, my fist finding the same spot as before as it connected with her jaw. I heard and felt the crunch underneath my knuckles. Again I braced my weight, raising my leg, but this time there was no teacher to stop me, I shoved her chest with my heel. Again I heard the crunch and crack of her bones breaking. No doubt I had punctured a lung and was minutes away from victory. She managed to get a few weak hits in, but I was quick to recover. I threw myself on top of her, bringing her up in front of me and wrapping my arms around her neck, my hands in position. I looked up for the final approval, not expecting it to James' eyes I met rather than Madame B's. He clenched his jaw, nodding his head stiffly. A millisecond later and my hands twitched her head to the side effectively breaking her neck and killing her. There was no applause, just silence. I stood up, my eyes set on Maria's bloodied face as Madame B's deep voice finally broke the silence.

"Very good, Annika." And just like that I snapped out of it; the red creeping away from my vision as I came to. I killed. Maria was dead and I killed her. I looked up, my posture straightening as I met Madame B's gaze and felt a small smile spread on my lips. It was so wrong, but it felt good. It felt good to win, it felt good to get approval from my teachers, and it felt good to get respect from the other girls. It felt good to kill.

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 _My other chapters will be longer, but this one is just a bit shorter so as to get the basics for Annika and her life in the Red Room, next chapter will most likely take place before the first Avengers film, PM with any input or information I should know about when writing about the Red Room, I'm still learning (It's a lot to try and learn all at once) and I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Please review, follow and favourite! Cheers._


	2. Old Friends, New Enemies

Next chapter! Just a warning, it isn't as intense as the last chapter, a lot of her flashbacks will be much more violent and fast paced, this chapter is a little slower, as will the next "Present Day" chapter just to help give a contrast as to who she was vs. who she is now. Within the next few chapters we'll meet the rest of the avengers. Despite the "Present Day" date, it is taking place pre-Avengers and post-Iron Man 2. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **A/N** \- Updated/Edited

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2: Old Friends, New Enemies

Location: Washington D.C., U.S.A

Date: Present Day

Patrick was making his famous omelettes. The smell almost intoxicating as I leaned against the entryway into the kitchen, watching as the old man whistled to himself happily, his spatula waving around wildly as he cooked. Martha and April giggled together in the bar of the diner, occasionally glancing through the order window to check on the food, but otherwise remained where they had spent most of the evening.

"You going to say something, Pat?" I nodded over to the two women as Martha let out an obnoxious laugh and flipped her long frizzy blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Hardly worth the trouble, they do their job," he shrugged, flipping over a few slices of bacon, "for the most part."

"You shouldn't let them walk all over you," I muttered stepping into the kitchen and began preparing my own meal. Pat was one of the few people I had learned to trust over the years, while I still remained distant and kept anything about my personal life ambiguous, he was the one person who seemed to see me for what I was. I still couldn't place his accent, but it was as thick as the bacon slices he was now humming over.

"What about you, eh?" He nudged my side playfully with a wide grin, his large belly vibrating as he chuckled to himself, "coming in here and turning things about?"

"I wouldn't put it so mildly," I smirked, tucking a piece of my short dirty blonde hair behind my ear, "I'm just helping a friend improve his business. Building you some more profit."

He shook his head as he muttered to himself, "This one, always so technical and stiff. Loosen up," he drawled nudging me once more until I laughed.

"Seriously, Pat," I warned playfully, pointing a finger at the two girls who had remained oblivious to our conversation, "I could knock them down a few pegs."

"Ah!" he waved me off, turning back to the stove as he prepared the plates and ringed the bell, Martha hurried over, wiping uselessly at her dramatically smudged eyeliner that only aged her more, and took the food to the customers. Seconds later she went back to April and continued with whatever gossip they had been whispering about before, "they're young, full of life and excitement! Shouldn't you be so wild?"

"What do you mean?" I asked frowning down at the sandwich I was making for myself.

"You are young, Ana. You still have so much life to experience, so many adventures to have," he shook his head again, rubbing the gray stubble on his cheeks, "you shouldn't be wasting your time in my diner, worrying about two girls having fun."

"I think I've had enough adventures for many lifetimes," I mumbled to myself, my thoughts swirling with agonizing screams, pleas for help and the metallic smell of blood.

"Ana," Pat sighed, waiting until I turned to him to continue, "one day you will realize it's too late, that your time to finally live your life has come and gone. Don't let that happen. If you do you'll miss out on new cultures, brilliant masterpieces, fascinating languages, friendship… and _love_. You have so much to experience and don't even know it."

"I…" my frowned deepened as my thoughts continued to distract me, voices echoing through my head, "I do not think that sounds like a life I deserve to live."

"So dark is your past that you cannot even allow yourself something as beautiful as love?" Pat asked, though we both knew I would not satisfy him with an answer. He sighed again sadly as he turned back to the stove, continuing to clean his station. It was rare our conversations took such a dark turn, but when they did he had learned to give me my space afterward.

I hurried out of the kitchen, finding my usual nook in the staff room as I ate alone in peace and quiet. I shoved away the voices in my head, hoping that maybe they would wait until I was alone in the comfort of my own home to haunt me once more.

I waited across the street, watching as Pat locked the door to the diner and gave it a quick yank before waving over to me. It was our usual routine, I never was comfortable watching Pat walk home alone so late, his strength was lacking and he wasn't at all an intimidating should someone pluck the courage to try and rob him. Often I found myself walking him home; and though I never told him I did, I had a feeling he knew. Tonight wasn't one of those nights. The voices in my head were brimming, slowly bubbling their way to the surface and I knew it wouldn't be long until I had another episode. Sparing one last glance back, I made sure he made it to the corner before watching him completely disappear around the other street. The walk to the subway was short, and left little time to come up with something to distract myself with until I got back to my apartment. Thankfully the metro was almost entirely empty – as usual around this early hour – as I stepped off the platform and into the train. Though it was empty, I didn't sit. I liked being in a position I could quickly react from. And lately I had this intense feeling I was being watched. How many months had it been? Six? Surely it wouldn't take so long for them to find me. I knew they had been watching, planning how they were going to approach me. But I never expected her. At first I was staring at my reflection. I chewed on my bottom lip, a nasty habit I'd picked up as lights whizzed past. I couldn't help examining myself, frowning slightly at the thickness around my thighs; being out of practice was starting to catch up to me. My gaze slowly drifted up, thankfully Pat's pancakes hadn't made too much of an impact on my figure, not that I was so self conscious as to worry about my slim figure. It was more endurance and strength that I was worried of losing with the lack of training, and I mentally made a note to start back at it soon. Before I could fully move up my gaze to settle on my grey eyes the lights slowed down until the train came to a stop, the doors opened and there she was standing across from me. I waited for the doors to close, my heart racing as I internally pleaded that she was alone and my escape would be quick. But the doors never closed, and she beckoned me out of the car. I let out an exaggerated sigh as I moved past her, my eyes scanning the dark station for any others that might have joined her. As soon as I stepped onto the platform, the doors sealed shut and the train hurried off to its next destination.

"Annika," Natasha nodded, her long fiery curls bobbing slightly with the movement.

"Natasha," I muttered glancing around, "are we going to do this here?"

She perked a brow questioningly and I rolled my eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked looking around. I glanced down at her attire, finding amusement in the casualness of her outfit. The faded jeans and blue rain jacket didn't suit her at all.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked stiffly, leaning back against a brick column.

"I haven't been sent to kill you," she informed quietly, her green gaze softening slightly as she stared down at me, "quite the opposite actually."

"Oh?" My composure was lost as I felt my own brows rise suddenly; I hadn't expected that.

"As I'm sure you've guessed," Natasha began, crossing her arms as she glanced around once more, "we have been watching you. S.H.I.E.L.D. is very interested in your skills and believes you could be an asset to our team."

"Asset?" I scoffed, "do you know what _they_ would do to you if they knew you would play good for _S.H.I.E.L.D_.?"

"I don't work for _them_ anymore, I work for S.H.I.E.L.D… Exclusively," Natasha insisted, her voice hardening as she grew defensive, "and I think it's an offer you should consider."

"You expect me to work for such a joke agency, so bent on appearing like they do a great deal for their country, but really Natasha," I chuckled darkly, "we both know its an office job with a dazzling title. You're their bitch, and that's all you will ever be to these people."

"As I was saying," she ignored my comment, but I could see by the tightening in her jaw and the stiffening of her back that she was annoyed, "its an offer you should really consider, it would give you a clean slate, a chance to work for the good. To start going straight."

"I'd say I'm doing just fine in those regards," I grinned, "I think giving it up all together is going far more 'straight', as you say, than switching sides."

"Annika," Natasha warned stepping closer.

"It's Ana, here," I stood straighter, "and I have considered your offer, as you requested and…"

"Don't," she hissed.

"…I'm afraid I am going to have to decline, on account of retirement," I shrugged, it was the truth…sort of.

"Annika…"

"Retirement?" a low voice echoed throughout the station. It was followed by an unamused chuckle as a tall dark skinned man stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching us, "is that what you call it?"

"Is there a nicer way of saying an ex-assassin?" I snapped, I knew his face immediately; pages of information on him starting fluttering through my thoughts as I quickly recounted the information I had learned about him.

"I don't think an ex-assassin should play off their profession as a career worthy of retirement," Nicholas Fury spoke harshly, he one eye squinting at me. To some, I was sure he could be intimidating, and no doubt with my lack of training could easily overpower me, but he didn't scare me. He was the furthest thing from what I knew to fear.

"I'd say I've earned it," I cocked my head, my tone playful as I watched his expression turn to disgust. I wasn't proud of my past, but I knew I could use it to my advantage when the moment presented itself.

" _Earned_ it," he growled, "killing hundreds of innocents suddenly gives you the right to go on vacation. Relax a bit, hell maybe even have a Cosmo if you're feeling especially exhausted from robbing all those people of a future they'll never have."

"I'm not selling myself as some kind of Saint," I snapped, his words had little affect on me, at least here. Soon the voices would come, "I have my own demons to deal with, and it's none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" he scoffed before stepping closer, his voice lowered threateningly, "you come into my country, move into my city, with a file like yours. And you're telling me it's none of my concern?"

"Have I done something wrong?" I raised my arms by my side, my palms facing him as I defended myself, "have I done something so horrible in the past six months that I've been here that you feel obligated to express your masculinity with such arrogance? I'm not a child, your leather jacket and eye patch don't frighten me. You annoy me, and quite frankly I'm exhausted from working at a minimum wage job and I don't have time to talk to either of you."

"That's the thing," Natasha cut in, "the past six months you _have_ been completely clean, no crimes reported in your area, no hidden contacts from Russia, nothing. Why?"

"Perhaps I saw the light or something," I teased, my tone still lingering with sarcasm.

"Why did you come here?" Fury asked more aggressively.

"I've said it all already," I sighed, "and now I'm ready to go to sleep, so if we could wrap this up…"

"You said she would agree," Fury turned to Natasha, his eyes cold and angry as he growled. Natasha looked up at him impatiently, she, too, seemed unafraid of the man.

"I said she might consider," Natasha sighed as she turned back to me, "which I think you should still do. Consider this…us telling you to consider with a deadline. One year, one year and you either are with us or…"

"Against you?" I laughed, "Please Natasha when did you become so…American, with your ultimatums and all that 'my toy is bigger than yours'?."

"Annika…" she pulled my arm, guiding us a little away from Fury so that only I could hear her talk, "This took a lot, just to get them to consider letting you in, I had to pull a lot of strings."

"I didn't ask you to," I pulled my arm from her grip as I glanced back at Nicholas who was now speaking into a phone.

"You were being targeted," she whispered harshly, "give it another couple days and you would be dead. I couldn't let that happen."

"Why?" I questioned, her kindness was strange and eerily uncomforting. I didn't remember this side to her. Then again I didn't remember much of Natasha at all save for one run in over a decade ago.

"I owe you," she muttered, "even if you don't remember…I owe you a lot, my life even."

"Natasha…" I glanced back at Fury, but he was walking towards the exit, apparently we were done talking.

"I know you don't trust him, or S.H.I.E.L.D. but I do, can't you trust me?" Natasha pleaded.

"I can't" I finally said, I heard the familiar screech of metal as the next train made its way into the station, I backed away from her, towards where I knew the doors would open for me, "I'm sorry."

"I know why you're here," she called, hurrying over as she pulled something out from inside her jacket. She glanced around once more before handing it to me, behind me the train came to a stop and I heard the familiar ding as the doors slid open, "there's more if you join us."

"I don't…"

"I'll check back soon, don't forget what I said."

The doors quickly shut in front of me, and for a second we stood there staring at one another through the fogged glass before the train picked up speed and left the station. No longer seeing a point in standing, I found a nearby seat and looked around. Sure enough the car was completely empty, but the red light attached to the camera in the far corner reminded me that I wasn't completely alone, and so I kept the folder tucked under my arm until I got home. I reached in my pocket for my phone, sending out a single text message as the subway glided through the tunnels.

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I checked every inch of my apartment as soon as I got home. Granted it was a studio apartment, so there wasn't much to check, but it made it easier to search for any bugs or devices the agency could be using to track me. Anything looking suspicious was immediately destroyed, and as soon as I decided the place was clean, I reached for the brown folder. I opened it, only to drop it immediately, the few documents it contained scattered across the hardwood floor and I stared wide-eyed at the face staring up at me.

That face. Who was it? I had seen it twice now. I reached for the photo, ignoring all other documents as I forced my eyes to take in every inch of his features. Granted it was the same photo I had seen months before, the one mailed to me when I was still living in Paris. Specific directions attached telling me to come here, that I had to find him. He held the answers to the secrets of my past. He could fill in the blanks where my memories had been tainted. The voices were lingering, slowly taking over as I tried to remember. I felt the tears brim on the corners of my eyes; I was getting frustrated. I knew my time was up. It was only a matter of seconds before I lost control and this would be forgotten. I hurried over to the desk facing the large window, making sure to retrieve each document and align them with his photo, writing a note to myself on the front cover of it before I wandered back to my bed. A soft knock on the door came just as I pulled the restraints from under my pillow. The click of the lock, and not long after did my neighbour Hanna come in, helping me silently as she pulled hard on the buckles and cuffs. She was a perky older woman, often wearing her floral nightgowns when I saw her, which only barely hid her plump figure.

"The pipe too," I reminded her, watching as she pulled roughly so that my entwined hands already restrained to the metal headboard now clicked in some cuffs attached to the water pipe behind my bed.

"Are you ever going to tell me why we do this?" Hanna sighed as she pushed her squared glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, her long blonde hair already done up in her usual bright pink rollers. Perhaps it was her reclusive personality, or the fact that she was in her forties but dressed like she was in her sixties, or maybe it was the six cats whose names I had regrettably remembered (Jerry, Barry, Coco, Mona, Scruffy and Lemon). Information that was useless to me but unfortunately would be somehow forever embedded into my memory. Nonetheless I trusted her with this. I had no second thoughts as she continued to strap me in, she had been on my speed dial for when I required her assistance, and she always came through.

"Sleepwalking," I hissed through gritted teeth, "wasn't that what we agreed?"

"All this for _sleepwalking_?" she scoffed, tightening another tie as she clucked her tongue, "I highly doubt it."

"Can we drop it?" I almost growled, "I pay you for a few simple tasks. Maybe takes ten minutes of your time. I _know_ I don't pay for your opinion, or the dozens of questions that follow."

"Peachy, as always," she muttered to herself as she rolled her eyes; though I caught the slight offense my words had caused her as she quickly glanced away sadly.

"Money is where it always is," I looked pointedly towards the door, the envelope taped lightly on the center.

"Are you sure you don't want company?" she asked hopefully. I kept from groaning, our bickering was always the same whenever we went through this process.

"Have I ever?" I sighed, closing my eyes as I put all my focus on maintaining my control until I knew she was gone.

"Can we at least forget about the…"

"No!" I ordered, my eyes snapping open as I caught her trying to leave, she looked over at the door once more before stepping cautiously towards me.

"I hate this part," she mumbled, her round face pulling into a pout as she positioned the mouth guard and then fully covering my mouth with a scarf. I nodded stiffly, offering quick thanks before I moved into a more comfortable position.

"Goodnight Ana," she whispered turning away as my eyes slid shut. I heard her shuffle towards the door, waiting for the click as it closed shut followed by the snap of the lock. Without warning, my body went numb and I felt my muscles tense in preparation for what was to come. I could feel the sweat already beading along my forehead as my breath quickened. The numb feeling lingered for a moment longer before it vanished, and as quickly as it left, another feeling took over. Agonizing pain swept over my body, making every inch of my body go stiff as I winced from the suddenness of it. The pain continued, but soon the voices began to take over my thoughts, the screams echoing throughout my mind, driving me to the point of insanity. I pulled against my restraints; all I wanted was to claw at my face, to tear away the flesh so that the voices might escape. Perhaps they would leave me alone just this once. My own screams joined in with the ones in my head, though muffled by the gag I had Hanna place over my mouth. Different faces flashed through my head as the pain increased. It felt like hours as the pain continued, all of my senses consumed by something all together horrible. Eventually, though not soon enough, I blacked out. I felt my lips pull into a small smile as I welcomed the darkness, knowing its embrace would cure me of this torture.

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Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for the reviews so far, keep the coming and be sure to add this to your favourites and follow! Cheers.


	3. No Loose Ends

Third chapter is here! This will be the second flashback, they will alternate every chapter for a bit, I think I have about 6 flashback chapters planned. I'm trying to make it so we see her relationship with both the Winter Soldier and Natasha in the flashbacks. There is a lot to incorporate from the Marvel universe into these chapters, just because I'm learning it all at once from different sources so there will be some things I will leave out as it just doesn't work for my story. For example, Niko is supposed to only be in charge of the training of Wolf Spider (Black Widow equivalent for males) but here I made it so he was involved in her training also. Also I don't know if they would have gone on missions before graduating, but I planned it so they did as it just works with her story. Anyway I hope you like it!

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Chapter Three: No Loose Ends

Location: South Harbour – Helsinki, Finland

Date: November 1961

The cool winter air was crisp and prickled against my skin, my breath clouded my vision every so often as I made my way through the docks. I felt the hard metal of my gun digging into my hip with each movement; a constant reminder of what I was here to do.

Night had fallen; something I was thankful for as it aided in my need to remain hidden. Though the shadows cloaked me from them, it didn't seem to have any affect on the man who followed me now. I was sure he had been sent to make sure I completed my mission successfully without any loose ends or errors. No doubt they had intended for his presence to remain unknown to me, but I knew he was there.

I stopped, peering around the corner in front of me as I spoke, "I don't need a babysitter."

The boat had arrived. A small cargo ship seemingly only transporting the items included on the documents they were now handing to the man waiting on the bridge, but I knew better.

"Tell your instructors then," he muttered from behind me. I glanced back frowning when I caught sight of his shimmering arm. I hadn't seen him for years, his attendance to our training was often sporadic and we had been instructed to simply call him 'Soldier', any mention of his other name would send him back to wherever he had come from. I had seen his episodes whenever he started to slip into a delirious rage, it was fascinating and left me with a million questions I knew I would never have answered, "I don't very much enjoy being sent on _babysitting_ errands as it is."

"Tell my instructors then," I narrowed my eyes, mocking his gloomy voice before turning back to watch the exchange.

"You're wasting time," he warned.

Keeping my back to him, I argued, "I'm thinking." My bottom lip was now pinched between my teeth as I tried to control my nerves. I had killed a few of the other girls, sure, but my mission now had me second-guessing my purpose here, surely I wasn't ready to actually go through with this. I shadowed other teachers as they took a few of us with them, we watched as they carried through each kill without hesitation or remorse. It was different now; I was the one pulling the trigger.

"You're hesitating," he corrected, shoving me forward out of the shadows. I was exposed, and before I could be caught I dived towards a large crate, using it as a barrier and remained there while I decided whether or not I had been seen.

"Did you see something, sir?" a man asked.

"I thought I did," a gruff voice answered, "check the perimeter, we can't unload the cargo if it's compromised."

"Aye aye," the other man hurried towards where I was hiding, and I quickly moved further into the darkness before rolling off the dock, slowly lowering myself so I was just hovering over water. Only one foot and hand held me there as the man passed, and I could feel my fingers aching. As soon as I knew it was clear, I hoisted myself back up; peeking over the crate to make sure the boat was empty. The dock was now empty, and further off I could see the two men searching every corner with their flashlights. Their backs were to me as they continued walking further and further away. Now was my chance.

"One shot, Annika," I whispered to myself as I hurried onto the boat, "one shot and its over."

It was a sizable boat, but it was only used for short distance transport, so it was an incredibly small comparison to the other ones I had seen. Thankfully this meant a smaller area to search, and less time I would have to waste on finding my target.

Most of the rooms were empty, and the search proved to be more time-consuming than I had anticipated. My breath was starting to pick up as I felt the desperation start to sink in. Unaware that I had been followed in, I let out a frustrated groan before the Soldier grabbed me from behind, forcing me to turn and face him just as he shoved me against the wall. I was about to complain when he pressed his finger to his lips, his eyes blazing as he warned me to keep quiet. Behind me I heard a whimper followed by urgent hushes and a woman's voice. My eyes widened as I realized what he had already figured out. I easily maneuvered out of his steel grip, turning to examine the metal wall I had just been pressed up against. It was then that I realized this room was narrower than the others, as well as missing a porthole; it was all starting to click together as I hurried to move my fingers along every seam of the wall, searching for any sort of opening.

It only took a few seconds before I found it. I pressed into the metal and smiled proudly when I heard the squeak of the door opening. I pulled back, reaching for my gun as I kicked the door the rest of the way open. I saw his face, and didn't hesitate pulling the trigger. He was my mark, and now he was dead. I watched as he fell, feeling a small flood of relief when I realized it was over, I had done it. But it was short lived when I heard a cry of help come from further in the room. I moved my gun, aiming at whoever else was there, and felt my heart stutter slightly when I was met with the sight of a mother holding back her son; both of them crying for the loss of the man I had just killed.

"Anton!" she screamed in German, "Anton get up, please!"

"Daddy!" the boy struggled against his mother before finally freeing himself and running to cradle his father's head in his little hands.

"Why did you do this?" she cried, her head falling back as she let out another cry.

"No lose ends," the Soldier appeared behind me, his voice void of any emotion or care for the scene that lay before him. I almost hated him for it.

"I can't," I stumbled back, my gun lowering slightly.

"Do it."

"I…" I raised my gun again, letting out a breath, an inner voice told me what I already knew; it had to be done. Instinct took over, I closed my eyes as I pulled on the trigger, the child's cries increasing when he looked over at his mother.

"Mama!" he wailed. I watched, as he looked between the both of them, unsure whom he should be with before he ran over to his mother, throwing his arms around her neck as he begged her to wake up. His hands desperately rubbed away the blood dripping down her forehead before he turned to look back at me.

"Bad lady killed my Mama!" he pointed at me, his eyes shifting to the Soldier behind me. I knew the boy thought that James was here to save him, but we both stood unmoving, "kill her!"

"Finish it," James finally said, his voice tight as he turned and left the room, "you're running out of time."

"I can't," I breathed, pulling the trigger once more. The little boy fell silent as he realized what I had just done, and I hurried to leave when I heard voices outside of the boat begin to get louder. Gunshots erupted as I ran through the cabin before I was finally on the dock. The Soldier stood there looking impatient as three bodies lay at his feet.

"Is it done?" he asked glancing down at one of the men. The man was still breathing, and was now straining to reach for the gun in the captains jacket. Before I could do anything, James lifted his gun once again and shot the man twice more.

"It's done," I whispered.

"Why," he sighed, leaning lazily against one of the crates, "do I have a feeling you are lying to me?"

"Do you?" I hissed.

"If I go back down there, and that boy is still alive, what will they do to you?" he asked pulling out a knife from his belt, "cut you, electrocute you, drown you…torture you over and over simply because you had a moment of weakness, for that boy."

"Killing that boy would be torture enough," I defended, "he's just a child."

"A child who has seen you kill his parents," James turned to the crate, digging his knife into it as he forced it open. I watched as he pulled out its contents, seemingly uninterested as he tossed each item aside, "he's seen you, and me. He's collateral damage and his death is necessary."

"That's not your call," I insisted, my voice carrying a bit more desperation. I moved my body to block the entrance to the boat, and he noticed.

"You belong to them, you do as they say and they said _no lose ends_ ," James growled throwing a bottle of liquor into the water, "I'm to track your movements, make sure you do as your told and report to them about how you handled your first solo mission, what will you have me tell them? That you were too weak to kill a child you've never met? That you failed to comply when given an order?"

"Tell them whatever you like," I stepped forward, "but that boy will not die tonight."

"Brave little Annika," he teased, "unfortunately, you don't get to tell me what to do."

Before I knew what was happening, he lunged for me, his full weight crashing against me as I was forced onto my back. I moved quickly to dodge his fist, lifting my knee so it jabbed into his abdomen. Size was no longer in my favor, I was taller now, which made it harder to be as agile as I was the last time we fought. However my skill improved, and I was quicker to catch his movements and learn his technique, easily dodging his kick before grabbing onto his ankle and pulling him forward, forcing him to fall. I jumped onto him, straddling his body as I moved to throw a punch, but he caught my wrist, twisting it away until I screamed in pain. This moment of distraction was all it took for him to overpower me. He moved, turning us so that he was on top, and just as I was able to focus back on the fight, I felt a sharp pain in my side. For a split second I was sure I saw him smile as he lifted the needle from my side. My vision blurred and before I could make sense of what was happening I went unconscious.

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The soft sound of the ticking of the clock was the first thing I awoke to, and as the memory of the previous mission lingered in my thoughts, I wondered just how much time I had left to live.

"Annika," a hushed voice snapped me from my thoughts, and I looked up at Natasha who was now hovering over me. Her worried green eyes looked down at me as I pushed myself up.

"Where am I?" I grumbled as she helped me to my feet, "the Academy?"  
"The Soldier…he brought you in a few hours ago," Natasha whispered as she glanced over her shoulder. We were in the training room, though now it was empty and left an almost haunting feeling lingering around us, as we stood there uncertain.

"Why are you here?" I asked pulling my arm away, "if they see you…"

"Annika," Madame B's voice interrupted us. I turned to see her cold and penetrating stare as Natasha moved away from me, "I see you are now conscious."

"Yes," I glanced behind her as the room filled with more instructors, one of them of course being the Soldier. He seemed to avoid looking in my direction as he kept his distance from the others; a man unfamiliar to me appeared behind him, speaking to him quietly before Madame B called for all of our attention.

"It seems…that your first mission was almost a complete success," she started as she stepped closer, "save for of course, the child."

"A moment of hesitation, Madame, it won't happen again," I said stiffly, internally kicking myself for being so careless.

"No, it won't," she smiled evilly before motioning to someone behind her, "Annika, you are our best student here, and it is because of this that I am willing to give you a second chance, an opportunity to right your wrong and to prove your loyalty to us."

"I don't understand?" I asked, but just as I spoke the boy from the ship was shoved into the room; he had been blindfolded, though the fabric couldn't contain the tears which now streamed steadily down his cheeks.

"It's quite simple really," she shrugged handing me a gun, "All you have to do is do as we ask. No questions asked, no hesitation, no lose ends."

"I…" I took the gun from her, as I looked over at the Soldier. His eyes were now on me, though they held no trace of regret or sympathy.

"While the usual punishment would have been our initial response, it came to our attention that you said something along the lines of…" Madame B frowned turning back to the Soldier as she feigned uncertainty, "what was it again? Oh yes, that 'killing the boy would be torture enough' or something along those lines."

"Madame…"

"I trust you will make the right choice," she interrupted, "after all, you have shown so much promise. I would hate to see that go to waste."

She smiled once more before moving out of the way, nodding to the man behind the boy to pull off the blindfold. The boy regarded me once more before he began to sob.

"You killed my Mama," he wailed, "why? Why kill Mama…?"

I knew that if I wasted any more time I would be dead. It was him or me. I took a deep breath, tuning out his cries of agony for the loss of his family before I raised my gun. As I leveled the barrel I felt something in me snap, something I had felt only a few other times, after I made the kill. It was satisfaction, and while I had learned to hide it away and ignore it when I wasn't doing the fights, it had emerged fully now and taken over my body. The trigger twitched underneath my finger, and I watched as the bullet flew from the gun and landed in his chest. One more shot, right in the middle of his forehead just to be sure. I watched as he fell, the anxiety and uncertainty leaving my body completely as I stood emotionless over him. I recalled his pleas for help, his desperation to understand why I did what I did. It didn't faze me, and while I knew that would have frightened the girl who had killed his parents, it didn't frighten the girl who stood over him now. I became exactly what they needed me to be, a weapon. I glanced up at Madame B, and saw her smile wider.

"Niko," she glanced over at the other instructor, "update Annika's file."

"Status?" he asked stepping forward. I glanced around the room, frowning when I noticed the Soldier and the man who had been with him were no longer present. I turned back to Madame B just as she spoke, her words sending a chill down my spine.

"Annika Kazakova, status: active."

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So now Annika is now an active assassin, meaning she can be called in for assignments during her training. Her final ceremony won't happen for a few more chapters, and next one will be a present day chapter again, pre-Captain America: Winter Soldier. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please make sure to follow/favorite and review! Cheers.


	4. AN: Update Information

Hi Everyone,

I've been having trouble for a while accessing this account, whether it's because of my old computer or just my newbie navigation skills when I first started this account I'm not sure. Any way, in celebration of my new computer and feeling for a fresh start, I started a new profile to publish more polished pieces.

In a couple weeks I will be deleting this account completely, as I have been getting notifications from readers looking for more story that they will find on my new profile.

I won't be continuing every story I've started with this pen name, but just a few that I've become attached to and determined to see through to the end.

My hope is that those who are still interested in these stories will follow me over to a link I have attached to my current profile page.

See you over there fellow readers/writers!

x.


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